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KALAMAZOO,
Mich. - After the Thunder shook off the rust
to a brand new season and settled into new roles, they turned a
three point halftime deficit into a big win at Kalamazoo Thursday
night with a 63-51 win over Earlham
College.

Like any team, Trine’s new season
brought some question marks. They had to find a way to replace the
production of departed seniors Ian Jackson and Scott Rogers.
Jackson was the conference’s most valuable player a year ago
and the fifth-leading scorer in Trine University history.
Rogers was a four-year starter and in the top-20 in the
school’s career scoring.

The Thunder (1-0) started slowly against
the Quakers (0-3), hitting just 26 percent of their shots in the
first half. Even with the tough shooting, Trine’s customary
tough defense and ball control kept them in the game. The Thunder
forced 11 first half turnovers and kept the pressure on the Quaker
guards on the perimeter.

Earlham’s biggest lead of the
first half was six at 26-20, after a bucket by Quaker sophomore
guard Jack O’Flaherty with 1:12 left before the break. Trine
bounced back immediately with a long ball from junior Jake Bagley
(Van Wert, Ohio/Van Wert) to head into the locker room trailing,
26-23.

It was a tougher and more focused Trine
team who took the floor immediately in the second half. The
half-court defense intensified and they forced Earlham into more
miscues.

Senior and team captain Todd Watkins
(Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Bernard) hit a layup to pull to within one.
Then, it was time for junior Tyler Good (Swanton, Ohio/Evergreen)
to take over. His layup gave the Thunder a 27-26 lead and provided
a glimpse of things to come. Good scored 15 of his career-high 21
points in the second half and served as the catalyst of the
offense.

Earlham briefly bounced back to lead
34-29, but it wouldn’t last. Trine blasted a 28 to 8 run over
the next 13 minutes to gain firm control of the game. That span was
highlighted by 13 points by Good, including an old-fashioned three
point play and several jumpers and slashes toward the basket.
Sophomore Tarvis Malone (Toledo, Ohio/St. Johns Jesuit) scored five
in-a-row during the run, including his first three-point field goal
of the year.

Earlham would never get closer than 11
the rest of the way, and Trine coasted to a 63-51 win.

The Thunder shot 47 percent in the
second half and 34 percent overall. That was mitigated largely to
the staggering turnover differential forced by the Thunder. Trine
created 22 Earlham turnovers and committed just five of their own.
That continues to be a strength for a team who placed among the
nation’s leaders in fewest turnovers per game last year.

Good was aggressive and confident on his
way to a career-high 21 points on 9 of 18 shooting. Watkins notched
a double-double with 11 points and a team-high 10 rebounds.
Sophomore Jared Holmquist (Reed City, Mich./Reed City) totaled
eight points and eight rebounds and played 32 minutes.

Freshman Will Dixon (Indianapolis,
Ind./Zionsville) was quick and impressive with the ball in his
collegiate debut, scoring seven and recording three steals.

Junior point guard Dustin Hall (Fort
Wayne, Ind./South Side) was supremely solid, dishing out nine
assists and not committing a single turnover. He also pulled down
five rebounds and swiped a game-high five steals. Bagley
finished with six points, and Malone scored five.

Trine gets right back into action on
Friday Nov. 22 with a match-up against Manchester University in
Kalamazoo at 8 p.m. Both games are a part of the MIAA-HCAC
Challenge.